HAIKU CHALLENGE

Working as a news bureau chief for Stars and Stripes on Guam and Okinawa were the best 19 years of my newspaper career. There usually was plenty to do, but sometimes the news was slow and the staff, scattered across the Far East, shared haikus to while away the time. Here’s one started by The South Korea Bureau Chief one day:

The subject: Base PAOs. (Don’t forget, 5,7,5.) I’ll start:

“E-mail the question Expect an answer by 5 No comment, thank you”

So, I answered with:

I NEED AN ANSWER NOW“Dammit,” he replied. “How do you spell that?” I asked. “D-A-V-I-D.”

And another reporter came up with:

Ask me no questions, I’ll tell you no lies, unless you prefer bullshit.